Main Line native aims to stir the waters on ABC's 'Shark Tank'

Wynnewood native Aaron Krause's new sponge is soaking up a lot of attention these days.

He appears regularly with his Scrub Daddy on QVC and so far has sold more than 100,000 units.

Krause also just got word that his product will be sold in every ShopRite nationwide.

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And on Friday, Oct. 26, he will appear on a prerecorded episode of the popular ABC show "Shark Tank" to pitch his product before a high-profile panel of entrepreneurs, including charismatic Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

"They can open doors up by making one phone call," declares Krause during a recent phone interview. "These are rock stars in the business world."

Krause has come a long way from his childhood and young-adult days in Wynnewood. After graduating from the former Akiba Hebrew Academy in Merion in 1988, he earned a bachelor's in psychology from Syracuse University.

But unlike his parents, who pursued careers in the medical professions -- a pediatrician and a cardiologist -- Krause had a mind for business, an entrepreneurial spirit. As early as 14 he had his own business detailing cars in his neighborhood. So in 1992 he opened his own shop, Dedication to Detail, in Bala Cynwyd.

As he operated his car wash and detailing shop he created a buffing pad for autos, boats and planes. In the mid-1990s he obtained a patent and started manufacturing the pads in a 25,000-square-foot facility in Folcroft, not far from the Philadelphia International Airport. The pads became such hot-sellers that he sold his detailing business and concentrated on making and marketing the pads

"We grew that business internationally," he said about the pads.

Eventually 3M Co. purchased the rights to his pads in 2008, but would later contract with Krause to manufacture the product.

Krause, who lives in Voorhees, N.J., also had created another auto-related accessory, a sponge, but it didn't get much attention. One day, as he relates the story, his wife had cooked a great meal and he had dishwashing duty. He used one of his hand sponges as an experiment on the pots and pans and realized it had an application in the kitchen. The sponge did not scratch the stainless steel or glass as it effectively removed the stains.

The household Scrub Daddy was born.

He says the Scrub Daddy's unique attribute is its ability to alter scrubbing texture by adjusting the water temperature. (Warm water makes for a softer, spongy texture - and thus greater absorbance; cold water results in a firmer texture, ideal for scrubbing.) In addition the sponge is lab-proven to resist odors and can be used as much as two months.

He also proudly points out that the Scrub Daddy, which retails for $3.99, is in the form of a smiley face, and placing your fingers through the eye sockets allows for a firm grip to reach those hard-to-reach areas.

Scrub Daddy initially gained exposure through five ShopRites owned by an acquaintance. His invention quickly sold out in the markets.

ShopRite recently agreed to carry his product in all its 250-some stores.

He was also able to get a spot on QVC, the nationally televised home-shopping network based in West Chester. He continues to make regular appearances, where he demonstrates the product.

It took a lot of patience, though, before he got the green light to appear on "Shark Tank." He applied for the show months ago but it would take a few months before he heard back. He interviewed before producers and then, as a test run, before an audience of ABC network executives, who gave him a "thumbs up," he recalls.

He credits his on-air QVC appearances for honing his skills as a pitchman.

Krause, who is the company's president and CEO and takes pride in being called the "Daddy of Scrub Daddy," would then appear before the panel of "Sharks."

He admits going on the show was a risk, as the Sharks can rip a new product apart as much as embrace it.

Krause says he was not so much looking for other people to have equity in his company as much as gaining partnerships with one or more high-exposure celebrity entrepreneurs who appear on the episode: Mark Cuban (NBA team owner and media magnate), Robert Herjavec (whose main industry is technology), Daymond John (main industry: fashion), Kevin O'Leary (main industry: educational software) and Lori Greiner (prolific inventor.)

"They all have such amazing personalities," he remarks, and are unbelievably successful entrepreneurs.

"All of them are rags-to-riches stories," he adds. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for them and what they do."

Because of a confidentiality agreement, Krause cannot say whether any of the Sharks took his bait. To see whether the Lower Merion native sinks or swims before a national television audience on "Shark Tank," tune in on Friday at 8 p.m.